13 January 2012

Chicago Athenaeum Honors “Dressed”, “Blossom”, ”Moka Alessi”, ”Shiba” and “Tuna” from ILBAGNOALESSIOne

Chicago, IL – Alessi, the renowned Italian kitchen and housewares company, is proud to announce the recognition of the Dressed collection by Marcel Wanders, the Blossom open-work fruit bowl by Elena Manferdini, the Moka Alessi coffee maker by Alessandro Mendini, the Shiba collection of pots and pans by Naoto Fukasawa, and the ILBAGNOALESSIOne Tuna washbasin by Stefano Giovannoni for Laufen, in the 2011 GOOD DESIGN Awards. Founded in Chicago in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., GOOD DESIGN bestows international recognition upon the world's most prominent designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered ordinary product and consumer design.

The Dressed collection is a full line of dishware, glassware and silverware created with Marcel Wanders’ signature Baroque detailing. The Blossom fruit bowl by Elena Manferdini is the young Italian designer’s first item for Alessi, borrowing technique and tradition from the arts and crafts movement and featuring an interconnected quatrefoil pattern that is the result of a great deal of research and testing. The Moka Alessi is architect Alessandro Mendini’s homage to Alberto Alessi’s maternal grandfather, Alfonso Bialetti, creator of the indispensable Bialetti Moka that is a mainstay in many Italian kitchens. The Shiba collection of pots and pans is centered on designer Fukasawa’s belief that a family of four needs only a small number of pots and pans to cook their meals; the set features a blend of aluminum and stainless steel, and wood or bakelite handles. Finally, the Tuna washbasin from the ILBAGNOALESSIOne collection by Stefano Giovannoni stands out for its complete originality with its asymmetrical form and elongated silhouette gradually and smoothly moving to a fine point.

“Alessi is honored to be recognized with five 2011 GOOD DESIGN Awards,” said Paolo Cravedi, Managing Director of Alessi USA. We would like to thank the designers for such exciting and original projects and the Chicago Athenaeum for recognizing the creativity and innovative spirit of Alessi.”

Now in its 61st year, the GOOD DESIGN Awards remains the oldest and most recognized program for design excellence worldwide, conferred annually by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design together with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. In November, the judges met and selected over 500 product designs and graphics from over 35 nations based on innovation, form, materials and construction, concept, function, utility, and aesthetic appeal. The Alessi products will be featured with other award recipients on the Chicago Athenaeum website at www.chi-athenaeum.org.